Night of New Vegas
by alimination602
Summary: Spiritual successor to Dawn of New Vegas.    After an attack on the Lucky 38 by an unknown enemy the Courier must return to the wasteland to discover the truth of the attack and discover a greater threat to the Mojave.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- The Attack on the Lucky 38

Twilight eclipsed the desert landscape of the Mojave Wasteland, an up wash of sand fluttering across the barren desert. The craft descended towards the beacon of light which grew high above the desolate terrain, the virgin metropolis of New Vegas. The dropships stealth systems operated tirelessly to conceal the ships energy signatures against the backdrop of the frozen night air, the task becoming ever more vital as they came within visual range of the dropzone.

The craft finally came to a halt, idling fifty feet above the cracked and broken surface of the wasteland. The cargo door slipped silently open, a flood of shimmering figures leapt out of the rear of the craft, each rolling to break their rate of descent before rising to their feet. The team, numbering ten, dressed in advanced stealth suits capable of concealing themselves to any but the most observant enemy. The soldiers raised their energy weapons in unison, scanning the terrain surrounding them for any signs of potential ambush.

The leader of the team stepped forward to face his soldiers; with a set of crisp, precise hand gestures he motioned his soldiers forward. The team charged through the desert wasteland, clasping their weapons tightly to their chests as they advanced towards the target.

The team came to a halt at the southern wall which marked the perimeter of New Vegas, the team once more moving into defensive positions in anticipation of a looming ambush. When no threat dared to present itself the leader holstered their laser pistol at their belt, drawing a refitted grapple gun from their combat belt, aiming the sight over the wall they fired. The harpoon projectile caught on a solid piece of masonry; the attached cable trailing down the face of the wall, the soldier yanked the cable to ensure it remained secure.

Confident that the device was secure the team leader motioned his soldiers forward. One by one each of the soldiers broke away from their assigned positions and began to ascend the face of the wall, dropping down onto the opposite side of the wall within the city. The team leader following as the last reached the peak of the wall, clambering over the top of the wall they lingered atop the defensive wall to sever the cable, this final act both ensuring they could not be pursued as well as committing the team to the path they had set before them.

The leader leapt down onto the other side of the wall, landing flawlessly in the centre of the formation his team had formed. The stealth team now stood in the centre of the New Vegas strip, from here the team could see the sin and debauchery of this city; they would savour the sight of seeing this den of evil burning to the ground before them. The team moved silently through the streets, the cold touch of the night air ensuring that the majority of this cities career gamblers and alcoholics had sought shelter within the Strips array of Casinos and adjoining hotels. The few people remaining on the Strip were the on-duty NCR guards, far too uninterested to be concerned with actually observing their post and the privileged citizen population who if they dared to report their sighting of invisible figures would likely be thrown in the drunk tank by the Securitrons.

Moving silently from shadow to shadow the covert operatives moved seamlessly through the neon draped streets of New Vegas. Finally the team reached the objective, the dark citadel of the Lucky 38. The team leader motioned to the rooftop of the opposite casino, the name Gomorrah scorched in burning letters across the overhanging canopy. One of the operatives nodded and quickly moved to establish the snipers perch across from the target.

The remainder of the team slowly began to advance towards the main door guarded by two Securitron robots. "Halt!" the guards rolled forward to confront the advancing soldiers, their stealth systems unable to mask their heat signatures at such short range. "You are not authorized-" in one fluid motion the two operatives leading the charge simultaneously drew EMP pistols from their belts, firing two shots the concentrated balls of energy struck their targets directly and instantly overloaded the Securitrons systems and silently disabling the units.

The team continued past the minor inconvenience without hindrance, the team forming upon either side of the entry door. The teams' technology expert stepped forward; pulling back an access panel they began accessing the doors control mechanism which would allow them access into the heart of the Lucky 38.

Veronica Santangelo groaned beneath her breath, awakening her from her delicate slumber, rolling over in her sleep to clasp her partners' warmth against her. Veronica nuzzled her nose into Briannas long brown hair, savouring the silky sweet smell of spices and luxury living combined with the musky hint of the Mojave wasteland. The delectable scent wafting through her system revitalised Veronica, inspiring a devious idea in her imaginative mind. Veronica scurried down her partners curvaceous torso, carefully manouvouring herself like a looming predator so as not to disturb her slumbering prey. Veronica trailed her lips down Briannas front, nuzzling her nose into the lip of Briannas T-shirt, the intensity of the delectable scent intensifying as she crept closer to the source. Veronica slipped the tip of her nose beneath the lip of Briannas jet black T-shirt, pressing her lips to Briannas stomach.

Unknown to the adventurous Scribe girl her partner in wasteland excursion was already stirring from her slumber, seeing the mound rising and falling beneath the sheets stirred her interests. "Veronica?"

The mass beneath the sheets suddenly froze, the gentle caresses against her stomach ceased. "Yes?" came the muffled reply.

"What are you doing?" Brianna asked.

No response returned. The mound of fabric moved once again and Veronicas head suddenly emerged from beneath the sheets to greet her. "Well good morning merry sunshine"

Brianna glanced at the bedside clock sitting on the table, noting the time as well into the looming twilight of the next morning. "You do know what time it is"

"I was just thinking I would get a head start on you. But since you're awake I was thinking maybe we could, you know..." Veronica trailed her finger down Briannas stomach.

"Well" Brianna replied, wrapping her arms around Veronicas thin and shapely form, holding her tightly to her chest. "I did promise that when I was rested I would ravish you completely" Brianna caressed her fingers across Veronicas exposed arms. "So I guess we could-"

The tranquil silence was suddenly broken by the piercing wail of the terminal on the desk across the room coming alive, crying out for attention of its master. Brianna begrudgingly had to concede, rolling off of the bed in a tangle of arms and sheets, leaving behind both her partner and the scattered remnants of the fantasy they had once entertained laying cold on the bed.

Brianna typed a series of keys into the keypad, unlocking the terminal and silencing the grating alarm which resonated through the room and Briannas skull simultaneously. The sobering effect of the revelation presented on the terminal quickly snapped Brianna awake, removing any lingering trace of early morning daze cast over her. "Someone is hacking into the Lucky 38 mainframe. All Securitrons within the perimeter have been neutralized. Reinforcements are en-route" Veronica leapt sharply from the bed, kneeling over one of the weapon lockers in search of her equipment. "ETA for Securitrons... 3 hours"

Veronica rose to her feet to face her companion. "Well I count that to be on the far side of useless"

A sound beyond the door stirred them from their tasks; they stood frozen in place, listening intently to the world around them. The sound of the elevator doors opening startled Brianna from the terminal, reaching down she lifted the combat knife from beside the terminal, Brianna leapt to her feet and pressed herself against the wall behind the sole door into the master bedroom, Veronica crouching behind the sofas on the far side of the room.

Above the sound of their raging hearts and laboured breathing they could hear the soft patter of footsteps sweeping out across the apartment. The footsteps began to grow louder as they came closer. Brianna gripped the combat blade tightly in her hand, the cold metal biting against her bare skin remained strangely reassuring. The door creaked open silently on its well-maintained hinges, obscuring Briannas view as she listened to the soft patter of the footsteps deepen. Brianna saw the barrel of a weapon emerging from behind the door and she knew that the person wielding weapon could not be far behind.

Brianna steeled herself, she lunged forward with primal fury, her right hand clasping the handle of the combat knife whilst her left hand reached for the barrel of the weapon. Brianna clasped her left hand across the barrel of the weapon, pushing the weapon down, neutralizing the threat. At the same time Brianna thrust her combat blade into the centre of the dark mass before her, feeling the building resistance as the blade dug deeper into the centre of the persons' torso. Brianna withdrew the blade sharply from her attackers torso, sinking the weapon into the exposed lip covering their neck. Brianna harshly yanked the blade free, hoping the sharp movement had severed something of importance in the process. Brianna could feel the body falling limp, unsupported the remains fell silently to the floor.

Neither Veronica nor Brianna could sacrifice the time to redress or gather weapons; they had to escape now before the inevitable rush of reinforcements locked down the Lucky 38. They had to escape the citadel of New Vegas before this spire became their tomb.

Just beyond the open doorway of the master bedroom, on the far side of the corridor, they could see the doors of the elevator yawning openly widely, waiting vacantly for someone to request its services, it appeared their only avenue of escape from the tightening noose. Although neither of them dared exposing themselves to check the remainder of the corridor they could hear the soft patter of footsteps wafting across the rest of the apartment. It appeared they would have to take the risk and trust their lives in the swiftness of their feet.

Brianna indicated the elevator across the corridor with a sharp hand gesture, Veronica nodded in acknowledgement. Brianna began to count down with her fingers, finally clasping her fingers into a tight fist. In perfect unison Brianna and Veronica charged out into the corridor, their tunnel vision rendering them blind to the world around them, their minds focussed solely on the target ahead. Even as they heard the booming call of 'Stop' accompanied by the metallic clicks of readying weapons they were not deterred. Veronica and Brianna leapt into the safety of the elevator, feeling the burning static of energy rounds passing centimetres in their wake. Veronica struck the elevator control, the doors closing silently to muffle the sound of gunfire in the corridor.

The elevator began to rumble beneath their feet, the sudden feeling of unease as they began to descend sobering the both of them from their adrenaline collapse induced daze. "You know..." Veronica said breathlessly, bracing herself against the wall in an effort to regain her composure after such an intense wake up call. "They will be waiting for us on the Casino floor"

Brianna stepped into the centre of the elevator, turning on her heel Brianna passed her gaze across the small space. "I know" Brianna raised her arm from her side, caressing her finger tips across the roof of the elevator. "Give me a hand"

With Veronicas' assistance Brianna raised up high enough to reach the roof of the elevator, opening the hatch she clambered through onto the roof of the elevator. Leaning down she held out her hand to help pull her companion up after her. Brianna felt the sudden jolt of deceleration as the elevator reached the ground floor of the tower.

The elevator doors yawned open of their own accord, the flashing neon light of the Casino beyond spilled out into the confined space. The dark shadows of the two figures were suddenly cast over the floor of the elevator, swiftly followed by two soldiers dressed in the same jet black armour as the one they had ambushed, their weapons drawn and scanning for potential threats. Brianna and Veronica lay crouched atop the elevators roof, silent and unwavering lest they drew the attention of the soldiers less than a metre away from them.

Secure in the fantasy that the elevator was clear one of the soldiers activated the elevator controls to take them back up to the Presidential Suite of the Lucky 38. The elevator began to vibrate beneath their feet as it began its ascent back up the dark Citadel, they did not have much time before the attackers learned of their survival and their latest hiding place.

Veronica made several sharp downward jabs of her clenched fist into thin air, silently passing her intentions to her companion. Brianna glanced back down at the unaware soldiers beneath her, contemplating the likelihood of being able to disable the guards simultaneously against the likelihood of them simply glancing up and blasting them at point blank range. Brianna looked back up to find her companion clasping a live pulse grenade in her hand, Brianna was unsure whether she was more shocked that Veronica was holding a live grenade or more bemused about where in her rather revealing outfit she had been concealing it all this time.

Veronica simply dropped the device through the open hatch and slammed it closed just as the shockwave of the explosion thumped, the metal straining to contain the blast. Once the dust had settled Veronica prised open the hatch to observe the true extent of the damage. Considering the force of the explosion, and the tight confines within which it was triggered, there was surprisingly few scorch marks or other damage to the elevator walls.

Veronica dropped down into the elevator car, quickly followed by her companion. The soldiers were splayed unceremoniously against the walls of the elevator, unmoving and silent, killed quickly by the sheer intensity of the blast. This moment of silence allowed Brianna a clearer view of their attackers; their armour and weapons had no insignias or other markings and appeared to be carrying no personal effects, they clearly did not want to be identified. Brianna reached forward to graze her fingers against the soldiers chest plate, the design of their armour was similar to the Chinese Stealth Suits she had seen in a few heavily protected military facilities, though it had clearly been modified. Brianna suddenly noticed the dry blood of the soldier she had killed staining across her shirt, in her adrenaline fuelled daze the thought had not even passed her mind.

"We need to get out of here now" Veronicas voice released Brianna from her trance. "And I think I have an idea of how we are going to do it"

The elevator settled to a halt at the appropriate floor, the brakes engaging to hold the elevator car in place against gravities unrelenting pull. Within the corridor of the Presidential Suite the remains of the infiltration team, confident that their prey would not elude them again, began to form up before the elevator doors, their weapons raised to deliver the killing shot. The doors began to slide open, the soldiers grip on their weapons tightening in anticipation. All they found were the broken bodies of their fallen comrades, looted of their weapons and armour and discarded where they fell. The first two of the squad dared to step inside, their weapons scanning for looming targets. They glanced up to see that the emergency hatch had been prised open, the cowards had fled, a final dishonour to the memory of their comrades. They would see that swift retribution was done.

Brianna and Veronica, dressed in the stolen stealth armour, snuck out into the warm glow of the flames billowing from the Gomorrah Casino across the New Vegas Strip. Beneath the cover of darkness the escapees quickly made their escape towards the borders of the city they had briefly named their own and once more out into the harsh wasteland where their lives had been forged.

Beneath the shadow of the Lucky 38 stood several NCR soldiers, their Sergeant questioning one of the Strips many career alcoholics/gamblers found standing over the broken remains of a Securitron. "I'm telling you someone else did this" the man indicated the broken security robot beside him; his voice slurred by a mix of animal fear and Gomorrah brand 'Mind Blower' cocktails. "There was a whole bunch of them that went inside the Lucky 38, but they looked invisible to me"

"Ok" the NCR Sergeant pondered the response. "May I ask how much you've had to drink tonight sir?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Escape from the Lucky 38

Night once more began to fall across the desolate wasteland of the Mojave Desert, accompanied as always by the harsh touch of the cold night air. Ever since the attack which had struck the Lucky 38 they had been on the run, all they could do was run. They avoided any major settlements and towns, without knowledge of who their enemy was they did dare to trust anyone. Until they uncovered the truth they had to assume everyone meant them harm and in their current state, carrying looted equipment and barely sufficient supplies to sustain them, their enemies would find them easy prey. With that in mind the fugitives had made their way east, to find the hidden entrance to the Safehouse of the Brotherhood of Steel.

Brianna dropped into the underground chamber, sweeping her weapon in front of her in search of targets lying in wait to ambush her. When no such threat dared to present itself Brianna shouldered her Laser Rifle, turning on her heel she called up to her partner waiting above. "It's clear"

Veronica dropped down into bunker beside her companion. "It's about time, I was getting lonely waiting up there all on my own" Veronica glanced around the hidden bunker concealed beneath the Brotherhood Safehouse in the desolate wasteland above. "So what are you thinking?" Veronica stepped into the centre of the bunker; turning on her heel she collapsed unceremoniously on top of one of the cots lining the eastern wall of the bunker. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, I just hope you've thought of a way to keep us from having to spend the rest of our lives down here. I've lived the bunker life before, trust me, its charms don't last"

"Oh don't worry" Brianna finally allowed her rifle to slip from her shoulder, bracing it against the support column she unclasped her helmet and laid it with her weapon. Across the bunker, beneath the shadow of the flag of the Brotherhood of Steel, lay an active computer terminal. Brianna stepped towards the terminal, activating the computer with a flurry of keys. "I believe I have a plan to get us out of here and find out who attacked us"

Brianna implanted a wireless node into the terminals access port, this node allowed Brianna access to any wireless network within the Mojave Wasteland, primarily the Securitron network. Inputting the necessary security codes Brianna was greeted by the smiling avatar of 'Yes Man' the digital commander of New Vegas' Securitron army and the Couriers greatest ally during her ascent to power as the new leader of New Vegas.

"Hello master" Yes Man greeted Brianna with his characteristically up beat demeanour. "And how are you doing today?"

"Not good Yes Man" Brianna responded. "The Lucky 38 was attacked by a group of elite commandos"

"I know. It's sad isn't it, you try to do so much good for the Mojave and people still want you dead" Yes Mans tone remained unsettlingly positive.

"Well they nearly succeeded this time Yes Man; we barely made it out of New Vegas with our lives"

"Although I wanted to stay there and beat the life out of every single one of them with my bare hands" Veronica suddenly interjected. "But I knew she wouldn't be able to find her way here without me"

Brianna quickly returned her attention to the terminal. "The soldiers had no identifying markings and their equipment appeared to be pre-war origin"

"Very rare finds indeed" Yes Man seemed to ponder the query, mining his databanks for relevant information. "Even more surprising is a faction being able to scavenge enough technology to equip an entire commando team"

"Has there been any sign of the ones who orchestrated the attack since we escaped?" Brianna asked.

"I am afraid not, master. My brothers surrounded the Lucky 38 moments after you departed. When they entered they found no trace of those who attacked you"

Brianna knew that lead had already frozen cold, she would have to attempt a different approach. "Is there any record in the database of an organisation with a large amount of advanced pre-war technology, specifically Chinese Stealth Suits?"

Allot of smaller factions within the wasteland relied upon pre-war technology to maintain the advantage over larger groups utilizing either salvaged finds or newly fabricated weaponry. "No entries in the database match your given parameters. But video feed from one of my Securitron brothers in the field show an unmarked aerial vessel approaching the southern perimeter of New Vegas just before the attack began. The unit continued to track the vessels departure and the vehicle has since landed at REPCONN HQ. We are maintaining a vigilant surveillance on the target"

"Now" Veronica suddenly piped up. "Surely it can't be a coincidence that a secret aircraft arrives just in time for an attack on the Lucky 38"

"Definitely not" Brianna turned to face her companion. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That the mystery aircraft is connected with the people who attacked the Lucky 38 and we should go investigate them in search of any indication of who launched the attack against us" the words rolled off of Veronicas tongue as though she were reading off a list of salvaged gear.

Brianna pondered the response. "Sounds good to me"

"Great" Veronica leapt to her feet, rubbing her hands gleefully. "I'll get my Pneumatic Gauntlet"

It was less than half a day's hike to the ruins of the REPCONN HQ building; they arrived under the cover of darkness. Circling around at the edge of the ruins the two figures lay atop the cliffs to the south of the Headquarters building. From this vantage point they could see the mystery aircraft Yes Man had referred too, docked in the clearing in front of the building rising high above the cracked wasteland.

"Looks like pre-war technology" Veronica broke the silence. The craft had a heavily armoured fuselage flanked on either side by large wings supporting two jet engines formed into the streamlined structure, the entire skin of the vehicle draped in a jet black coating which allowed it to conceal itself against the darkness of the night. "I've seen that type of aircraft in the Brotherhood of Steels archives. It looks similar to an experimental military dropship being developed by one of the pre-war governments before the nukes hit"

Brianna drew her Gauss Rifle from her back; peering down through the rifles scope she scanned across the target before her. Brianna identified one guard patrolling alongside the docked ship. "We need to remove the guard before we can approach" Brianna lined up her sights; she would have to eliminate the soldier in a single strike or risk sacrificing their only lead. Just as her grip on the trigger tightened the guard suddenly disappeared beneath the engine of the starboard wing. "I wish he would hold still, I need to get a clear shot at him"

Veronica suddenly perked up. "I've got it covered" Veronica leapt to her feet with a mischievous smile on her face, slipping down the bank she broke into a run towards the target. Veronica slowed to a jog as she approached the docked craft, her guardian angel watching from her vantage point. Veronica suddenly collapsed into a heap in the dirt.

"_What is she doing?_" Brianna muttered beneath her breath. The guard suddenly appeared from beneath the wing, cautiously approaching to investigate the figure, Veronicas plan soon became clear. The guard continued to approach cautiously, his weapon raised and ready to fire at the first hint of danger. "Ok Veronica" Brianna spoke through their shared communicator. Veronica braced her hand on her knee, shakily raising herself into a crouch, the soldier standing over her dressed in the same black armour like a looming phantom of death. "Now what I need you to do is-"

But before Brianna could complete her message Veronica suddenly leapt to her feet, striking the attacker in the chest with a sharp uppercut. The surprise attack threw the guard to the ground and Veronica, utilizing the momentum of her first attack, brought her fist crashing down onto the soldiers stomach, the thin stealth armour providing little protection for the wearer against the blunt force of the attack. Brianna allowed her weapon to fall slack in her arms. "Or you could just do that" she spoke into thin air, unsure if her partner had even heard the remark.

Brianna ran down the hill towards Veronica. Brianna leant over the broken body of the soldier lying dead at Veronica's feet, once again her companion had chosen to throw all pre-tense of subtlety to the wind in an effort to simply remove the threat entirely.

"Very subtle Veronica"

Veronica smiled cheekily in response. "Hey, it worked didn't it?"

Brianna shook her head in defeat, returning to her task, she checked over the body of the fallen guard. The strange thing about him was that he carried nothing besides his armour and weapons, no personal effects, no currency, no faction markings or signs of allegiance. Even his equipment, although exotic, had been thoroughly searched and checked for any indication of where they may have spawned from or who wielded them. Whoever was leading this attack clearly did not wish to be identified. Brianna pocketed the spare Microfusion Cells and returned her attention to her companion. "Well he's not going to be any help to us"

"We could always interrogate the pilot" Veronica gave the suggestion as casually as she would ask you to pass the salt across the dinner table.

"Only one problem" once again Brianna served as the voice of reason. "He's inside the ship and we're stuck out here"

Veronicas gaze passed over the ship, noticing the cargo bay door formed seamlessly into the side of the craft a smile began to grow across Veronica's lips. "Leave it to me"

Veronica struck the hull of the craft with the clenched fist of her Pneumatic Gauntlet, the clang of metal against metal shattering the looming silence of the wastes. A sound stirred within the craft, the access door slipped silently open as if at her call. Veronica held herself against the hull of the ship, Brianna hiding beside her, they listened for the telltale sounds of footsteps clanging against the metallic deck. The barrel of a plasma rifle emerged from within the ship; Veronica lashed out with her right hand and grabbed the barrel of the weapon tightly in her grasp. Utilizing her strength forged through years of intensive training she drew the guard forward and out of the ship, grabbing the soldier himself she threw him hard against the hull of the ship, pinning him with her Pneumatic Gauntlet.

The pilot was dressed in the same jet black armour as the soldiers they had seen before, although his face was exposed without his helmet, his Asian features glaring defiantly back at her, silent.

"Not very talkative is he" Brianna said.

Veronica turned her head, bemused. "Let me break his legs, maybe I can loosen his tongue"

"You truly believe your threats frighten me?" the two captors were surprised when their captive finally spoke.

"Well I could always start with something a little more delicate and critical" Veronicas tone suddenly turned devious. "A hand, a spleen"

"Down girl" Brianna sniggered, placing her hand on her companions shoulder. "We just want to know who attacked the Lucky 38"

"I do not fear death" the prisoner disregarded the request. "I welcome its embrace. You will learn nothing from me"

"You may not tell us anything, but I am sure your navigation computer will" Veronicas technical knowledge as a member of the Brotherhood of Steel appeared to be serving her well. "The system will have logged everywhere you've been, including where you came from"

Though he did not allow it to appear in his features the prisoner was clearly distressed by the revelation. "It matters not" the man's voice remained unphased. "You cannot stop the force that is to come. You will all be-"

The man's words were cut short mid-sentence, the main structure of his skull fracturing with a flurry of bloodshed and shattered bone fragments. Veronica released her grip on the broken body, the corpse falling to a heap at their feet. Brianna and Veronica turned sharply, they could see the glint of a snipers scope atop a ruined building across the compound.

"Get inside!" Brianna snapped, the two of them scrambling towards the open cargo door, the hull of the ship being pelted by a barrage of bullets. Brianna climbed into the ship, Veronica following quickly after slamming the bulkhead door behind her.

Brianna dropped into the pilots chair of the cockpit, activating the controls. Veronica loomed over her shoulder. "Are you sure you can fly this thing?"

"The Boomers let me train on some of their simulators" a devious smile grew across her lips. "Let's just say that my flying skills in the dog fighting scenarios left allot of Boomers kissing the virtual dirt"

Brianna engaged the flight controls, the engines rumbling to life as the aircraft hovered over the broken and cracked surface of the desert. The thrusters engaged and the stealth ship fired into the darkened sky over the barren Mojave Desert.

The stealth transport levelled off several thousand feet over the desolate wasteland, allowing the pilot to flop back into her seat.

"Well, now that we're not being shot at maybe we could check the navigation computer and finally work out who's been attacking us all this time" Veronica pondered.

Brianna leant forward, passing her agile finger tips across the main computer screen before her, searching through the databases contained within the ship. "You're right Veronica. The computer holds all the previous destinations the ship has landed" Brianna scanned through the list of names, as she delved deeper a single entry drew her eye. Brianna froze in her place. "Big Mt" the haunting name cascaded past her frozen lips.

"Big Mt" Veronica asked. "You sound as though you've heard of it"

Brianna seemed surprised that her companion had even heard the name spoken beneath her lips. "I spent allot of time at Big Mt."

"You never told me about that?"

"I am afraid it was before we met" Brianna smiled sweetly. "We have to maintain a little mystique in our relationship" Brianna gripped the control column tightly in her hands. "Looks like we're going to Big Mt"

Veronica leant back in her seat. "So what else have you been hiding from me? Any past relationships, any important people you've killed who might want you dead?"

"Nothing which should come back to bite us anytime soon, I spent allot of time at Big Mt before the battle of Hoover Dam, it's a training facility and weapons research base, I thought I could find some useful technology amongst the ruins"

"Sounds just like any other base in the Mojave, so what's so important about this place in particular?"

"Well aside from the vast array of advanced technology it is also the place where I once had my spine and heart replaced with mechanical parts and I had a long debate with my own brain over whether 'he' was willing to return with me or remain the partner of a power mad robot with a broken monitor for a face"

Veronica stared bemused for a moment. "Have you been drinking the Cactus Juice again?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- The Return to Big Mt

Big Mt, a heart of advanced research and development in the old world, had been reduced to a cluster of shattered ruins which remained a shadow of their former brilliance. During her long travels through the Mojave Wasteland the Courier had stumbled across a dormant probe lying amongst the sands of the desert. The strange device had teleported her to the summit of a concealed mountain facility controlled by a council of robots who had once been the lead scientists who maintained the base. Many would have been tempted to exploit these secrets to dominate or destroy. The Courier had attempted to uncover some of its lost works, hoping to use its technology to help end the conflict still growing within the Mojave Wasteland before the sands became drenched with blood.

After landing in the Mojave wasteland the Captain had chosen this abandoned facility as their staging area from which to launch the strikes deeper into the American heartland, though it seemed that the installation did not come without its share of complications.

"Hey baby" the womans fingers tightened around the grip of her weapon, continuing her patrol through the Sinks biological research wing, the thick voice of the stations Biological Research AI echoing in her ears. "Do you want me to plant my seed in you?"

The situation did not fare any better for the operative as she stepped into the central hub of the facility, leaving behind the echoing call of the sink crying "You are trekking mud on your boots, please wipe your feet" the devices simulated voice breaking with artificial fear. "Oh god, the germs are everywhere!"

"Communist presence detected" the operative walked past the Sinks book disposal system. "Indoctrination module inactive due to decreased research and development funds. Instead please indoctrinate yourselves using a cage and a sack of mole rats. Due to the large number of subjects to be indoctrinated I may require some of you to share cages"

"You got mugs" A miniature scale replica of the Securitron robot rolled past her in pursuit of one of her comrades in the living quarters. "It's just sitting in your pack, just taunting me, mugs!"

The second operative pushed the robot aside with the toe of his boot. "Move it, robot"

"Buddy" the burning voice of the hubs Toaster boomed. "If my heating element was a little bigger, you'd be on fire right now, on fire!"

That became the final straw. The operative turned to face the Commander perched over the tactical display in the control hub, snapping a sharp salute. "Captain, can we shut these things off?"

"Have you ever tried to indulge an all consuming urge to kill when you don't have opposable thumbs, or hands, or anything other than a bread slot" the piercing voice of the homicidal toaster could be heard across the Sink. "Cursed heating filament, you are inadequate for my needs! Why, why, why was I not built with a death ray?"

"They represent the reason we are fighting" the Captain finally looked up to face his subordinate. "Steel yourself Lieutenant. Soon the operation will commence and when it does the Mojave-" the Captain was interrupted by the sound of a console beeping for his attention. The team leader turned to address the console before him, analysing the vast readout of data cascading across the screen. "They return from the hunt"

The Stealth transport descended towards the landing platform at the base of the large dome building which served as the heart of the facility, touching down on the landing platform. Brianna and Veronica stepped down the rear loading ramp, clothed in their stolen stealth suits they would remain unknown to any watching eyes. The two emerged out into the open air of the vast crater, the barren scorched wasteland reminiscent of much of the outside world.

Two guards dressed in the same Chinese Stealth Suits emerged from the tower, approaching the two visitors along the narrow walkway linking the landing platform to the base of the dome structure.

"_Just stay calm_" Brianna whispered through their shared COM link. "_They may not know who we are, let me do the talking_"

"_Why you_" Veronica asked.

"_Because the last time I asked you to distract a guard you ended up punching him, repeatedly, with your big metal fist_" Brianna held back the poisonous anger in her voice.

Veronica had to concede. "_Fine, be my guest_"

Brianna and Veronica stopped a foot short of the two guards, the two sides standing opposite in mirror images of eachother, Brianna waited for the guards to speak first. What she had not prepared for was when the guards spoke to her in a dialect completely alien to her. From the few broken phrases Brianna could recognise from pre-war manuals and films they seemed to be speaking an ancient, pre-war language known as Mandarin Chinese. From their grated tones they clearly anticipated a response.

"_Well?_" Veronica asked impatiently through their silent link. "_Aren't you going to introduce yourself?_"

Brianna could feel her muscles tense; she forced herself to suppress it. "_You're not helping_"

Although they were fairly sure the guards remained unaware of their exchange their unwillingness to respond to them clearly aroused their suspicions. "_Fine, I'll do it then_"

Brianna instinctively reached for her laser pistol at her belt, her fingers barely grazing the cool metal of the handle of the weapon when Veronica began to speak through the helmets external COM . Brianna wasn't sure if she was already dead or if she was suddenly blasted on Cactus Juice again but it seemed as though that Veronica was speaking the same language as the guards were and they believed her!

The exchange finally drew to a close, the guards turning on their heels and stride towards the central complex. Brianna stood speechless. Veronica stepped forward, indicating for her partner to follow. "_Come on_"

"_What just happened?_" Brianna quickly followed to avoid drawing any more attention. "_What the hell did you just say to them?_"

"_They asked us if 'we' attacked the Lucky 38. I told them I and you were dead and they seemed happy with that_"

"_You knew what they were saying?_" Brianna asked.

"_Yeah, I know. They said something about a Fire Dragon, then something else I didn't quite make out now they want us to come inside. At least they're not shooting at us_" Veronica continued to maintain her uncanny ability to always continue to look on the bright side.

"_But they were speaking Chinese!_"

"_Yeah, so was I_" Veronica admitted.

"_How in the hell did you do that!_" Brianna said.

Veronica shrugged her shoulders. "_I've got to find something to do while you're out in the wastes. I have my own interests; you learn to pilot super secret stealth aircraft, I learn a complex language that has been lying dead for over 200 years_"

The elevator doors parted as the four of them stepped out into the section of the facility known as 'The Sink', recently claimed by the Courier herself as her own Safehouse within this hostile region she was shocked to discover her sanctuary packed with soldiers, each dressed in the very same armour as those who had lead the attack on the Lucky 38.

A group of roughly seven soldiers stepped forward to surround them, each holding a Laser Weapon loosely in their arms. The leader, their armour reinforced and modified to suit their rank, stepped forward to address the visitors in his alien tongue. Veronica responded in kind, the two exchanging words Brianna had no chance of comprehending. The ruse appeared to be working, immediately up to the point when it was shattered. In one fluid motion the half dozen guards raised their Laser Rifles to Veronica and Brianna; Brianna quickly suppressed the overwhelming desire to draw her pistol from her hip.

"_Veronica, what's going on?_" Brianna attempted to keep her voice level.

"_A bit of bad news I am afraid_" Veronica forced the words past her lips. "_I think that they now know that we're not one of them_"

"Remove your helmets" the group's leader spoke the first words Brianna could finally understand.

Brianna and Veronica complied, pulling their helmets free of their shoulders and placed them at their feet. The leader in turn did the same; removing his suits helmet he revealed his sharp Asian features and jet black hair.

"I am Captain Yau, the _Dragon of the West_" the leader turned to address Brianna directly. "I never expected to meet the de facto leader of New Vegas in person. Am I to assume that since you continue to live and have been so bold as to arrive here via our transport that the team tasked with neutralizing you have not only failed in their task but have been incapacitated themselves?"

"Most of them, yes" Brianna admitted.

"The rest of them may turn up in a few months after walking here on foot since we stole their ship" Veronica quickly interjected.

"In return we can assume that you were the one who ordered the attack on the Lucky 38?" Brianna asked.

"I did" Captain Yau glanced away for a moment, collecting his thoughts, he turned back to face them. "Because New Vegas represents everything that is wrong and corrupt with America" Captain Yau began to pace from side to side, emphasising each word with a jab of his hand. "Commercialism, greed, fornication, embracing the corrupt vices of the world" Captain Yau stopped to stare into Brianna's eyes. "We came to New Vegas expecting to find Mr. House, a relic of the Old World, a man who could not be negotiated with or intimidated. Perhaps you will prove to be different"

"Then you are not from the Mojave. Who are you? NCR, Caesars Legion?" Brianna listed off the most influential groups remaining in existence.

A smile formed across the Captains lips. "I would have thought that the pride of Chinese engineering would have revealed our true identities, apparently not"

"Then where are you from?" Veronica asked. "Utah, Kansas, the east coast?"

Captain Yau simply laughed as though the very prospect was the universes eternal joke. "You truly believe that your country was the only government capable of developing vaults to protect its citizens?" the realization struck Veronica and Brianna in the chest.

"The Chinese Republic" cascaded past Veronica and Brianna's lips.

"In another age our countries fought with nuclear arms over resources and territory, the firestorm lead to the barren wasteland you now crawl through like animals" Yaus lips curled into a smile at the prospect. "We can to America seeking to restore the honour of our ancestors"

"Then why attack New Vegas?"

"Las Vegas was a den of sin and debauchery in the Old World, its dark legacy continues to this day. By removing the heart of corruption the remainder of the city would consume itself in flames"

"But it didn't work did it?" Veronica remarked.

Yau seemed un-phased by the comment and continued on regardless. "Killing the leader was only the beginning. You may fight the cancerous cells but fail to remove the tumour and you are buying time at best. That is why we came here" Yau indicated the Sink with a flourish of open arms. "Here some of your greatest minds, unrestrained by laws or morality constructed a device capable of removing the stain of America forever. The weapon codenamed The _Eclipse_ Cannon"

"Eclipse" the word slipped beneath Veronica's breath.

"You know the name?" Brianna asked.

"Yeah, I remember I read something like that in the Brotherhood of Steels archives, something about some kind of big gun which could microwave everyone in the Mojave. Obviously because of its destructive capabilities the Brotherhood became interested in it"

"The Sink!" the piercing wail of the Toaster pierced the looming silence. "Why does the Sink get a Death Ray and not me? I'm the one who has always held the dream of removing all life from existence; I am the terror of toast and toasters alike, why am I denied the tools which would see that fulfilled"

"What you say is correct" Captain Yau said. "But what you did not know is that like much of America's triumphs it was built upon the back of China. The technology for _Eclipse_ was derived from the work of the head scientist developing a weapon codenamed _Dragons Breath_"

"Sounds like a barrel of laughs" Veronica said with a devious smile.

"The scientist emerged to be a traitor to the Peoples Republic and choose to surrender his knowledge to assist the Americans in creating a heretical parody of Chinese engineering. Without the scientists knowledge _Dragons Breath_ was never fully realized. However _Eclipse_ remains operational and is ready to be utilized"

Captain Yau activated the Sinks main control panel, a holographic representation emerging atop the console. The light blue fragments of the data stream beginning to form into the image of a mighty cannon, a weapon of sheer magnitude and devastating power.

"I remember that" Veronica said. "One of our other Chapters even tried to capture it themselves. The Scribes who researched it said they needed some kind of password from someone to activate it"

"The researcher leading the project was quickly brought to justice by the People's Army for his desertion. His name was Professor Nelson Yau, my ancestor"

"So that means you have the-" Veronicas eyes went wide with the sudden realization. "Oh crap"

"Indeed" Captain Yau activated a series of keys on the control panel, the sinks vast computer systems whirring and humming as they awoke from their long dormant slumber. Even the ground beneath their feet began to tremble with fear and anticipation of the coming event. The main computer displayed their progress, the weapon slowly rising from its slumber as the power from the reactivated generators and power cells flooded into it. It would only be a matter of time. "Once Eclipse is charged the weapon will fire and the purge of the United States shall begin with its corrupted heart. At last the honour of my family shall be restored"

"An excellent strategy Captain" Brianna spoke. "But I am afraid that you have overlooked one crucial detail" Yaus features flashed a hint of anger for the faintest moment at the very accusation that he had overlooked the slightest detail.

"And what might that be?" Yau rose to the bait.

Brianna flashed a subtle smile to her companion before returning her gaze to the Captain. "You just brought the Mojave Brotherhood of Steels best unarmed fighter within arm's reach"

Veronica lashed out at the nearest guard standing just to her right, her bare fists striking out at whatever she could reach. Brianna lashed out to strike the guard standing to her left, clasping the barrel of the Laser Rifle she yanked the weapon away and jammed the stock of the gun into the soldiers chest he collapsed to the floor in a painful heap. Brianna quickly turned and brought the weapon up in a single fluid motion, firing the weapon she dropped two more Chinese soldiers before they could respond. In the few looming moments required to incapacitate his men Captain Yau drew his Laser Pistol from his hip and brought the weapon to bear. With Veronica still engaged with the rest of the squad Brianna would be on her own.

Brianna reacted purely on animalistic instinct. Discarding the weapon aside she threw her entire weight into her shoulder and charged towards him. Before Captain Yau could bring his weapon to arms length Brianna struck into his side hard. The Captain intercepted the bold strike, their armoured bodies clashing together in a thunderous roar of stressed metal. Brianna clawed at Yaus armoured forearm in a desperate effort to gain control of the weapon in his hand.

"Oh, yes!" the computerized voice of the toaster rang through the Sink. "_The sweet smell of spilled electrical guts, the sparking diodes, I fucking live for this_"

Brianna pressed her entire weight behind her hand, twisting his wrist in a desperate effort to turn the Captains weapon against him. In attempting to gain control of the weapon she had sacrificed her footing, leaving herself vulnerable to a sharp knee to the stomach. Despite the surprising strike Brianna held her ground against her enemy's attack, eager to turn her disadvantage against her opponent.

With revitalised vigour she returned herself to the conflict at hand. Clasping both of her hands around the barrel of the laser weapon she began to twist and turn in an effort to gain control of the weapon; it seemed that the Captain had dawned upon the same idea. Utilizing his superior strength and grasp he pressed down hard in an attempt to turn the barrel of the weapon into Brianna's chest. Brianna threw her entire weight behind a single, final push, forcing the barrel of the laser pistol back. Tightening her grip around the weapon the trigger activated, the weapon discharging in a flash of bright red light. Brianna froze, expecting to feel the inevitable rush of pain and anguish as the superheated plasma burned through her skin. Yau jerked, coughing harshly. His iron grip released, his body falling limp at Briannas feet.

Brianna did not have time to savour her victory however as the looming threat of _Eclipse_ still remained. Brianna scrambled to the central console dominating the main room, scanning her eyes across the vast array of consoles spread across the Sinks main control centre. Veronica joined her by her side, scanning across the vast array of displays before her. From what they could see the weapons charging sequence was nearly complete and once it was charged the cannon would fire and the Mojave would burn. "We've got to find some way to disable this thing"

Brianna turned to check another set of screens and displays beside her. Brianna heard the sharp crack of metal straining against metal, she turned back to find the main screen shattered and sparking. Brianna turned to face Veronica standing beside it. "What did you do?"

"I improvised" Veronica admitted. Strangely whatever Veronica had done had caused the console to hum and whir softly as the entire system slowly began to power itself down.

"How did you know that would work?" Brianna asked.

"I used the benefit of my technical experience to make an educated analysis of the complex situation at hand" Veronica said.

"You mean you just guessed and decided to smash it" Brianna knew that at this point she had to expect these things from Veronica.

Veronica shrugged innocently. "Pretty much"

A sharp cough pierced the looming silence, Veronica and Brianna turned to face the source. The broken body of Captain Yau stirred. "Looks as though the Captain yet lives"

Brianna stepped forward to kneel over the shattered body of the Chinese Captain. "You truly think that we are the only ones, the final threat" Yau gasped through quivering lips. "We are the vanguard of your destruction, the first of an army..." Yau took his final gasping breath, feeling his final essence draining from within him.

Brianna rose to her feet, standing over the body of the man who had held a gun to the head of the Mojave Wasteland, and very nearly fired it.

Veronica stepped beside her, laying a supportive hand on the shoulder of her companion. "Well we've just defeated an elite team of Chinese Special Forces, saved the Mojave Wasteland and now we stand in the heart of one of the most advanced scientific centres of the Old World" Veronica pondered for a moment. "Do you wanna play a game of Caravan?"


End file.
